| A | B |
|---|
| research | structured problem solving |
| absolute reserach | research with the purpose of measuring some phenomenon |
| comparative research | research that compares the results from two or more groups |
| science | area of knowledge organized for the purpose of discovering and establishing general laws |
| scientific method | structured systems to perform research |
| variable | quantity or property that is free to take on different values |
| continuous variable | variable that theoretically can take on infinitely many values |
| discrete variable | variable that can take on a finite number of values |
| unit of measurement | unit of precision in measuring a variable |
| unit of analysis | the objects on which statistics are computed |
| independent variable | variable whose values are changed by the researcher |
| manipulation | intervention on the part of the researcher to change the values of the independent variable |
| experimental group | also known as the treatment group, receives the level of the independent variable that defines the experiment |
| control group | identical to the experimental group except for the absence of the manipulated condition |
| dependent variable | behavior of the participant that is observed and measured by the researcher |
| extraneous variable | any variable that is not an independent or dependent variable but that might have an effect on the dependent variable |
| control | to make the groups under study as comparabe as possible on an extraneous variable |
| confounding | confusion of the effect of an independent variable with that of an extraneous variable |
| randomizing participants to groups | randomly assigning participants to the levels of the independent variable such that the probability of any possible arrangement of subjects is constant |
| keeping participants constant | control of an extraneous variable by using only one of its levels in the study |
| include the extraneous variable in the design | control of an extraneous variable by using all of its levels in the study |
| subject bias | influence on the dependent variable on the participants' knowledge of the levels of the independent variable |
| observer bias | influence on the dependent variable of the observer's knowledge of the levels of the independent variable |
| single-blind experiment | experiment constructed to eliminate subject bias |
| double-blind experiment | experiment constructed to eliminate both subject and observer bias |
| operational definition | precise definition of how the researcher will observe and measure a concept |
| causal relationship | relationship that exists when a researcher can assert that the independent variable caused the observed changes in the dependent variable; manipulation of the indpendent variable is a key feature of this relationship |
| predictive relationship | relationship that exists when a researcher can assert only that a change in one variable predicts a change in another variable |
| predictor variable | variable ina predictive relationship that is analogous to the independent variable; the researcher predicts from this variable |
| criterion variable | variable in a predictive relationship that is analogous to the dependent variable; the researcher predicts TO this variable |
| true experiment | research that uses an independent variable and a dependent variable and controls extraneous variables by randomization |
| observational research | research that can assert only predictive relationships because of the absence of manipulation and randomization |
| quasiexpreimental designs | designs in which the researcher can manipulate the independent variable but cannot randomly assign participants to groups |
| internal validity | truth of the causal inference from the independent variable to the dependent variable |
| external validity | truth of the generalizability of the results of a study |
| quantitative data | observations that are numerical values |
| qualitative data | observations that are expressed as labels or names |
| nominal scale of measurement | type of measurement process that yields data that have only identity; the data are qualitative |
| ordinal scale of measurement | type of measurement process that yields data that have identity and order |
| internal scale of measurement | type of measurement process that yields data that have identity, order, and equal distance between numbers on the scale |
| ratio scale of measurement | type of measurement process that yields data that have identity, order, equal distance, and a true zero point |
